Fatah 'tipped off' about Gaza war (AJE/Wikileaks)

Recursion

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Fri Dec-03-10 04:00 PM
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Fatah 'tipped off' about Gaza war (AJE/Wikileaks)

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/11/201011301553933160.html

A leaked US diplomatic cable has raised the possibility that Fatah, the Palestinian group in power in the occupied West Bank, knew that Israel was planning an attack on the Gaza Strip before it launched its deadly offensive in December 2008.

The conflict, which ended in January 2009 after three weeks, led to more than 1400 Palestinian deaths and left vast swathes of the Gaza Strip completely destroyed.

According to a June 2009 US embassy cable released on the WikiLeaks website, Ehud Barak, Israel's defence minister, told a US congressional delegation that his country had asked Fatah and Egypt "prior to Operation Cast Lead" whether "they were willing to assume control of Gaza once Israel defeated Hamas".

Barak said that neither Fatah nor Egypt responded positively to the question, but the suggestion that Palestinian leaders knew in advance of the attack on Gaza could prove massively embarrassing for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.

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shira

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Fri Dec-03-10 04:37 PM
Response to Original message

1. The news isn't that Fatah knew Israel would attack Hamas...

Edited on Fri Dec-03-10 04:46 PM by shira

Hamas launched Operation Oil Stain, firing 100's of rockets into Israel, in the days leading up to Israel's response. It was only a matter of time before Israel hit back. Hamas couldn't possibly be stupid enough not to know Israel would promptly fight back.

The news here is that neither Fatah nor Egypt wanted to assume control of Gaza in case Hamas was defeated.

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Violet_Crumble

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Fri Dec-03-10 04:40 PM
Response to Original message

2. I'm not sure how advance knowledge could prove embarressing to Abbas...

Now, if he had agreed to assume control of Gaza once Israel finished slaughtering innocent Gazans, then that would have been both embarressing and utterly revolting and unforgivable...

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shira

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Fri Dec-03-10 04:48 PM
Response to Reply #2

3. The PA, not Hamas, should be running Gaza so it's not revolting or unforgivable for the PA....

Edited on Fri Dec-03-10 04:50 PM by shira

...to assume control of Gaza once again.

Hamas only won a parliamentary majority, not full dictatorial control of Gaza.

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hack89

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Sat Dec-04-10 01:01 PM
Response to Reply #2

8. How many Hamas leaders were killed in the opening attack

because they were taken by surprise? How many would be a live if they had advance warning and could change their routine?

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bemildred

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Fri Dec-03-10 06:03 PM
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4. The subject line is annoying.

I didn't think anyone was much in doubt about the IDF's intentions, back then, though the timing might not have been precisely known.

On the other, hand being asked if your are willing to be left holding the bag is a good deal different from being "tipped off".

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Violet_Crumble

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Fri Dec-03-10 06:21 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. Yeah, that's what I thought as well...

Nothing about it is embarressing for Abbas, not even being asked by Israel to be left holding the bag. I'd imagine it'd be more embarressing to have thought that bombing the shit out of Gaza would in any way destroy Hamas or remove them from power, but I suspect those who held those hopes are immune from embarressment...

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bemildred

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Fri Dec-03-10 06:23 PM
Response to Reply #5

6. Yep, the ruling elites "fail upwards" a lot. nt

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eyl

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Sat Dec-04-10 12:38 PM
Response to Reply #5

7. If he knew and didn't warn Hamas,

(or even if he didn't but it can be plausibly alleged) it's more than embarrassing - it could mark him as a traitor among certain segments of the Palestinian population (with the accompanying short life-span that goes with that label if he falls from power(

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Violet_Crumble

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Sat Dec-04-10 03:33 PM
Response to Reply #7

9. That's true....

If that were the case I'd have very little sympathy for him...

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